The Houston Texans have lost 3 of their last four games.  The Titans had a bye week to lick their wounds after the Steelers gave them a beatdown two weeks ago.  This is a HUGE game for both teams as either the Texans or Titans are going to win the AFC South this year as the Jaguars and Colts suck!  That felt good to say!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Houston Texans are going to try to pass the ball to open up running lanes for Arian Foster.   The O-Line is going to have to give Matt Schaub time to throw the ball, so he can he effective.  Owen Daniels, Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones are going to be his top targets when he’s looking down the field.  On the short stuff, look for Arian Foster and fullback James Casey to get a lot of work.  Don’t think for a minute though that the Texans aren’t going to run the ball a lot in this game.  Arian Foster is going to get his fair share of touches tomorrow.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Titans are going to come out trying to establish the running game with Chris Johnson this Sunday.  Having fullback Ahmard Hall back is going to give the Texans’ D some issues as he loves to blow tacklers up in the running game.  The Texans have 17 sacks already this year but the Titans’ O-Line has only given up 7, so something has to give tomorrow.  If Hasselbeck has time to throw the ball, he’s likely going to make some plays down the field to Nate Washington.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 23, TEXANS 17

The Texans are looking to get back on track this week after losing to a very motivated Oakland Raiders team last weekend.  The Ravens have had two weeks to get ready for the Texans as they are coming off of their bye week.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  With Andre Johnson out of action again, look for the Texans to run the ball a lot with Arian Foster.  That is going to be easier said than done against a Ravens’ D that is only allowing 72.5 yards rushing per game and 3.2 yards per carry.  The Texans have to make sure that they block OLB/DE Terrell Suggs no matter what, even if it means using the fullback or TE to help double him.  If Matt Schaub has time to throw the ball, he is going to be able to make some plays down the field to Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter and TE Owen Daniels.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Texans are giving up 4.8 yards per carry so far this year, so they can expect a very heavy dose of Ray Rice and Ricky Williams this weekend.  After the running game is established, look for Joe Flacco to attack down the field in the passing game to rookie WR Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin.  Look for TEs Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson to also be heavily involved in the passing game this weekend for the Ravens.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 23, TEXANS 17

The Houston Texans have been great at home where they are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 51-17.  The Raiders are a tough team who is going to try to come to town and go toe to toe with the Texans in a slobberknocker.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  This is a perfect matchup for the Texans.  The Raiders are giving up 136.0 yards rushing per game and 5.9 yards per carry so far this year.  Arian Foster is likely foaming at the mouth after watching game film of the Raiders’ D as he should have a monster game this Sunday.  Andre Johnson is out of action for this game, so the Texans are hoping that Jacoby Jones will step up and be a downfield threat for them starting this Sunday.  WR Kevin Walter, TE Owen Daniels, FB James Casey and RB Arian Foster are going to try to help pick up the slack in the passing game for the Texans with Johnson out of action.  The Raiders are a heavy blitzing team (11 sacks already this year), so Matt Schaub will have to get rid of the ball a little quicker than usual.

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are also going to run the ball a lot this Sunday.  The Texans are giving up 4.9 yards per carry so far this year, and that’s not good news with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush dropping in for a visit.  Jason Campbell is a deadly passer off of play action passes as he likes to throw deep.  His offensive line has really protected him well this year as he has only been sacked 2 times in 2011 so far.   The Texans are going to need to get pressure on Campbell so that he has to throw the ball before he wants to.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 21, RAIDERS 20

The Steelers are going to find out really quickly this Sunday that they aren’t playing the Seahawks or Colts.  The Texans are a very physical offensive team and they are looking forward to taking the fight to the Steelers’ defense this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are going to come out and try to punch the Steelers in the mouth in the running game with Arian Foster and Ben Tate.  The Steelers are giving up 4.6 yards per carry this season, so I think the Texans are going to be effective running the ball against them.  The Steelers are still a heavy blitzing unit, so don’t be surprised if Matt Schaub keeps the passing game short and give his receivers and TEs chances to break tackles and get down the field.  WR Andre Johnson is a huge mis-match against the Steelers’ secondary, so be very excited if he’s on your fantasy team this weekend.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers can’t run the ball and Ben Roethlisberger has already turned the ball over 8 times this year!  That doesn’t mean that they aren’t going to put up a fight though.  They are likely going to try to get the running game going, so the Texans’ front seven are going to have to take care of Rashard Mendenhall.  Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 9 times already this year, so the Texans are going to be blitzing him like crazy.  They will still have to deal with Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, who have made a lot of plays down the field.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 27, STEELERS 17

The Texans are 2-0 on the year but they are going to get challenged for the first time this weekend in New Orleans.  The Saints looked really solid in beating up on the Chicago Bears last weekend, so the Texans are in for a fight this Sunday in the Big Easy.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are going to try to fight fire with fire in this game.  But, I don’t see them getting away from the running game unless they have to.  Ben Tate already has 219 yards rushing this season and he is averaging 4.7 yards per carry.  The Saints are giving up 4.2 yards per carry but only 81.5 yards rushing per game.  Part of the reason for the low yard totals for the Saints’ D is because teams sometime avoid the running game in an effort to keep up with the Saints.  If the Texans have issues running the ball or if they fall behind in this game, Matt Schaub is plenty equipped to get into a fire fight with the Saints through the air.  The Saints try to make their weak secondary with blitzing, so Schaub will look to make them pay with shorter passes to Andre Johnson, TE Owen Daniels and Ben Tate out of the backfield.  He will likely try to get the Texans’ secondary to creep up to stop the short stuff and then attack over the top to Jacoby Jones.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are likely going to come out throwing the ball against the Texans.  The Texans have done a really solid job of defending the pass so far this year as they are only giving up 162.5 yards passing per game this year.  But, those stats were put up against Chad Henne and Kerry Collins, neither of which is near the caliber of a QB that Drew Brees is.  That means the Texans will likely blitz a lot more than usual.  The Texans will have to disguise them pretty well especially when Darren Sproles is in the game for the Saints.  That is because a screen pass to Sproles while the Texans are blitzing is a recipe for disaster.  The safeties will have to check TE Jimmy Graham, who is developing into a favorite of Brees.  The corners will have to be able to handle Robert Meachem, Lance Moore and Devery Henderson without much help over the top.  The Saints might also try to get the running game going with Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles…so the linebackers won’t be able to cheat to help out against the pass.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 30, TEXANS 24

The Houston Texans rolled over the Colts last week and they have to be foaming at the mouth after watching game film of the supposedly good Dolphins’ defense.  The Dolphins will be a much better test for the Texans’ D as they rolled up 488 total yards against the Patriots last Monday Night.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are getting Arian Foster back tomorrow.  But, I look for Ben Tate to also get some carries as they will ease Foster back into a heavy workload due to his injured hamstring.  The Texans have to look at the matchups at WR and TE, where they have huge advantages over the Dolphins.  I look for Matt Schaub to air it out tomorrow, as the Dolphins corners (Vontae Davis and Sean Smith) can’t handle Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones.  TE Owen Daniels could also have a big game tomorrow as the Patriots’ TEs torched the Fins last weekend.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Texans aren’t too worried about Reggie Bush gashing the defense in the running game, but they will have to deal with him out of the backfield in the passing game and that could be a problem.  OLB Mario Williams and the rest of the defense is going to have to put pressure on Dolphins’ QB Chad Henne because he has a very solid gang of WRs and TEs.  CBs Jonathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson are going to be challenged by Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess in this game.  The Dolphins also threw the ball a lot to TE Anthony Fasano, so safeties Danieal Manning and Glover Quin better be ready to deal with him tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 31, DOLPHINS 28

The Texans have rebuilt the defense over the off-season by bringing in a lot of talent on that side of the ball and Wade Phillips to coach them up.  They built up on the defensive side of the ball with the idea of trying to slow down Peyton Manning.  They won’t have to worry about him this Sunday as he’s out due to neck surgery.  His injury makes the AFC South more open and the Texans are now the favorite in the division and they need to make a statement this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans really were successful running the ball against the Colts last year.  Arian Foster carried the ball 48 times for 334 yards (7.0 ypc) with 4 TD runs and he caught 10 passes for 72 yards (7.2 avg) against the Colts last year.  But he has a hamstring injury that could cause him to miss this game or at least be limited.  If he can’t go, Derrick W ard, Ben Tate and Steve Slaton are more than capable of picking up the slack.  The Texans are also going to attack the Colts’ secondary, as long as Matt Schaub has time to throw the ball.  That means that the OTs are going to have to keep DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis away from Schaub.  If Schaub has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have a good day, because Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones and Owen Daniels will will matchups against the Colts’ secondary.

When the Colts have the ball:  I have a feeling that the Colts are still going to be a pass first team in this game.  Kerry Collins threw for 237 with 2 TD passes in 1 game for the Titans against the Texans last year, so he will likely be aggressive in trying to get the ball downfield to Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark.  Austin Collie is the tough guy willing to go over the middle, so Collins will be looking for him when J.J. Watt and Mario Williams are hunting him down in the backfield.  The Texans should still be up to the challenge with a revamped secondary ready to roll in 2011.  The Texans hope that the front seven are able to handle stopping Joseph Addai and Delone Carter.  They should be able to handle that due to DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing manning the middle of the D.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 27, COLTS 16

The Texans have lost 8 of their last 9 football games so all they have to play for is pride this weekend.  They also can be the spoiler as the Jags could win the AFC South with a win this Sunday and a Colts’ home loss to the Titans.  The Jaguars are without Maurice Jones-Drew & David Garrard in this game so they could be coming to a gun fight with a butter knife.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  Andre Johnson isn’t going to play this Sunday but it might not matter against a very soft D of the Jaguars.  The Jaguars are giving up 250.1 yards passing per game so I look for Matt Schaub to light up the sky targeting Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter, Owen Daniels and Arian Foster.  Arian Foster is leading the NFL in rushing yards this year with 1,436 and the Texans will give him a lot of opportunities to win that crown this Sunday against a Jags’ D that is allowing 113.4 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.

When the Jaguars have the ball:  I have a feeling that the Texans are going to have to prepare for an air raid this Sunday.  Trent Edwards will be taking aim at a Texans’ secondary that is allowing 277.1 yards passing per game.  Edwards will likely have a short leash with the playoffs a possibility for the Jags with a win.  Todd Bouman might be warming up most of the game.  The Texans must also prepare to stop RB Rashad Jennings who also has a chance to be a hero for the Jags.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 30, JAGUARS 24

The Texans have lost 3 games in a row and 7 of their last 8 games.  The Broncos have lost 5 games in a row and 9 of their last 10 games this year.  So, something has to give this Sunday in the Mile High City.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are likely to come out throwing the ball against the Broncos in an attempt to get a quick lead.  The Broncos only have 18 sacks this year so Matt Schaub should have plenty of time to throw the ball and he will inflict damage.  Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones and Owen Daniels will likely all get a few balls thrown their way in this game against a Broncos’ D that is allowing 227.6 yards passing per game so far this year.  The Broncos also can’t stop the run as they are allowing 158.4 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  Arian Foster and Derrick Ward could have big games this Sunday for the Texans.

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Texans are going to go all out to stop the Broncos running game and dare Tim Tebow to beat them with his arm.  Tebow does  have a good set of WRs to work with as Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney are all solid targets.  The Texans will have to blitz Tebow a lot and try to keep him in the pocket where he’s less effective than when on the move.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 34, BRONCOS 24

The Texans have lost six of their last seven games with the lone win coming against the Titans, 20-0 in Houston.  The Titans have lost six games in a row but they showed some life last week against the Colts before falling 30-28.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans’ offense is going to go through Arian Foster as usual this Sunday.  Foster has 1,834 yards rushing & receiving so far this year and he has scored 15 TDs.  He will be taking aim at a Titans’ D that is allowing 120.6 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry.  The Titans need to put pressure on Matt Schaub or he’s going to scorch their secondary with Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, Jacoby Jones & Kevin Walter.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Texans don’t have much of a pass rush with Mario Williams out of action.  With that in mind, don’t be surprised to see Kerry Collins putting the ball up a lot in this game.  He also has his favorite receiver (Kenny Britt) back in action giving him a monster deep threat against a Texans’ D that is allowing 279.9 yards passing per game so far this year.  Chris Johnson will also get his share of carries against a suddenly tough Texans’ run D.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 30, TEXANS 27